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Colorful plastic by any other name

Jim Frost called it Corelon. Michael Prater put in Case knives from Jim Frost and sold it at a premium price. In the old days it was called end of day celluloid. I tend to call it swirly plastic. I'm not a big fan of it, especially when it is marketed as something special or valuable.

When it is all white, it is called Cracked Ice or Imitation Pearl. I've also seen and own Imitation abalone. And then there is tortoise shell. Who doesn't like Imitation tortoise shell!

I know today's celluloid is much more stable that what was used in the past. I'm of the understanding that much of what is called celluloid today is actually acrylic resins. But at the end of the day, it is plastic, a cheap replacement material for higher priced natural materials. (bone, stag, hard woods, precious stones, etc.) So why does it demand a higher price tag than Delrin, another thermoplastic?

Is there anyone out there who is collecting modern celluloid, such as Case Corelon?

Is there anyone who collects older celluloid, specifically swirly or end of day material?

U.S Classic Tiger Eye Swirl.

Rough Rider Blue/Brown Swirl (top) and Tortoise Shell (bottom)

Imperial Cracked Ice (often sold as MOP)

Wenger Snife (Rhythm)

Case Corelon (stock photo) - I don't own any Corelon.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 7, 2013 at 18:49

I'm not sure how long Prater has been doing the handles. I know he was not doing it from the inception of Corelon. I think the Prater/Frost/Case contract started within the last few years. Had he been doing it years ago, they would have mentioned on the airing of Cutlery Corner instead of pushing all those Stacey Combs Custom Bowies!

Early on when Frost was handling the "corelon" case knives there were serious issues with the handles falling off because of crappy workmanship. People were sending them to Case for re-handling but Case was unable to do it as they didn't put the handle on! Case was about to pull the authorization of the Frost knives and I think that is when the application of the handles went to Michael Prater. I believe part of the the deal allowed Prater to develop new color combinations and use the Corelon for other projects and Frost would sell these products through Cutlery Corner.

The Prater name added a level of respectability to the Frost swirly plastic and also provided a degree of quality control missing from earlier production. Basically a win-win all around for all three companies.

Frost had a unique outlet for USA made knives known for Quality

Case was getting their name out there and had assurances of completely USA assembled knife with quality Control

Michael Prater was able to produce reasonably priced collectors knives at a time when sells for his custom knives was lacking.

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FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on October 7, 2013 at 18:53

Sooo, Prater gets a cut, Frost gets a cut.....therefore the higher than delrin price?

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on October 7, 2013 at 19:10

Well I assue like a good many businesses these days, they licence the product. Just in the same manner that Case Licences the image of John Wayne and Dale Ernhart, just to mention a few.

No metter where it comes from, there are folks out there that collect it and love it. I am glad they have the option to purchase a knife with thier favorite colors and materials

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FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on October 7, 2013 at 19:34

I agree Jan! And I DO really like the Corelon handles. My above point is that it, in part, explains the higher cost over delrin.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 7, 2013 at 22:16

The only problem I actually have with Corelon is that it is a tradmark name for Swirly Acrylic Plastic. Other companies such as Rough Rider also use "swirly plastic" but cannot call it "Corelon"

This is the same thing with Delrin. Delrin is the dupont tradename for a Thermoplastic called Polyoxymethylene. If you are not using Delrin but a generic Polyoxymethylene you have to call it something else, typically composition.

In the past, the same was done for Celluloid or Bakelite . Companies avoided calling their handles these materials because it was the trade name or they wanted to hide the fact that this inexpesive plastic was being used on high priced knives! for instance Remington called Celluloid by their trade name: Pyremite.

Case/frost is doing the same thing with Corelon. It is a trade name for Acrylic. The same way his FrostWood is a trade name for pretty colored laminated wood.

Below is another one of my Swirly Plastics, this one from Iroquois, I think this one could have been an End of Day knife

And next a pair Guardian Angel Toothpick in Imitation Tiger Eye and MOP (Cracked Ice)

Considering the number I own, I am not adverse to the material and obviously sometimes find it quite appealing.

My latest addition was a Rough Rider Marlin Spike in "Hazardous Swirl"

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Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on October 7, 2013 at 22:38

Really like the cracked ice toothpick...

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 8, 2013 at 6:05

Thanks JJ.

J.J. Smith III said:

Really like the cracked ice toothpick...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on October 8, 2013 at 9:11

End of day

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 8, 2013 at 9:41

If there was a "like" button , I'd be pressing it right about now, Steve!

I'm coming around to pretty plastic, but I just can't justify paying the same for it as I would quality wood or bone. I do agree, however that it could be slightly more than some other types of Composition material.

Who made those knives, Steve?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on October 8, 2013 at 9:46

Fightin Rooster... starting in 1985!

Tobias Gibson said:

If there was a "like" button , I'd be pressing it right about now, Steve!

I'm coming around to pretty plastic, but I just can't justify paying the same for it as I would quality wood or bone. I do agree, however that it could be slightly more than some other types of Composition material.

Who made those knives, Steve?

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 13, 2013 at 15:59

Craig he gets Corelon from Coraline in the samy way you get Stagalon from Stag. Coraline algaie comes in a multiude of colors and is dazzling to see. However it is not stable enough to be handle material. As to where I heard it: Tom O'Dell said it during a couple episodes of Cutlery Corner a few years back. He also refers to the swirly plastic on their $12 Milano stilettos as Corelon!